Jack Strickland is a retired AP writer who is active in the war against cancer. He, himself, is a survivor.
As a reporter he covered many of the major stories in Florida.
He lives in Gainesville where he is an advocate for cancer patients of all ages. Jack finds special joy in getting
sports stars and teams involved in the care young cancer victims. He claims that the athletes benefit from the involvement
as much as the patients. He says he managed to miss many tackles as a football player long ago, and learned that defeat can be
temporary and serve as the foundation for success.
• Doors have not clanked shut on privatization; Glades may be next - Governor, power brokers may take a "one by one" approach. Meanwhile, an assortment of officials have gone to jail. ...
• Gator gymnastics team cheers cancer patients at Hope Lodge, will ‘pink-out’ for cancer tonight - Lending courage to all, the coach and team are champs in sports and champs in life, with fund-raiser tonight. ...
• Cinderella will wait for her brave young prince to return from war in Afghanistan - Dreams put on hold as young couple lives a Cinderella fairy tale ...
• How I got an education during night in emergency room - Special bonds made; families in distress often suffer outside and alone ...
• The children with cancer are so innocent and so helpless - A view from inside the hospital shows that life on the edge creates new heroes ...
• I learned a lifelong Bible lesson of charity on a city bus - People often surprise you when you least expect or deserve it. ...
• How UF’s Don Gaffney broke quarterback color barrier, Auburn jinx – as Auburn comes to play again - First black quarterback in SEC met his big test on the field in 1973 when he started Auburn game, but his "best performance" may have been a speech. ...
• Ray Shaw’s life was a living textbook on how to help others in need - Ray Shaw seemed surprised when they named him an "earth angel" but his life served to teach others how to help people in need. ...
• Cancer victim’s courage inspires special sunset ceremony on Florida beach - In warm memory, daughter, son-in-law renew wedding vows on the beach where ashes of parents were scattered. ...
• They left hospital for the last time, in a red sports car - A sweet romantic interlude, a Corvette, and the battle against cancer are described by columnist Jack Strickland who watches a couple leave Shands Hospital. ...
• Explosive Gator stars Grossman, Gaffney reunite; they could march Redskins back to Super Bowl - Fun-and-gun offense Gator greats Jabar Gaffney and Rex Grossman are together again. The Washington Redskins have signed the dynamic duo. A decade ago the quarterback and wide receiver captured the imagination of the entire nation....
• “Bouncing Betty” and a story of wounded Vietnam vet’s life-changing friendship - Legs mangled, veteran Bill showed compassion and found help for debilitating pain from a landmine in Viet Nam. ...
• Cancer can be a lonely battle for children when family members and caregivers fall by the wayside - It tears your heart out to see children caught up in the fight against cancer. They are so innocent and so helpless...
• Honduras jail fire recalls horrific Florida prison blaze where 38 died amid lingering questions - A scene of racial fights, the Florida road prison in Jay exploded into fire in 1967, leaving truth yet to be fully told. ...
• Waterhouse goes to death proclaiming innocence - Convicted murderer Robert Waterhouse, 65, died by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison in Starke, with unsettling words....
• Florida Senate kisses an emotional goodbye to prison privatization - Public prisons get a valentine as senate proposal fails in a 19-21 vote; meanwhile, execution slated today...
• Group alleges more financial links to privatization; vote could be today - A watchdog group alleges that privatization backers have financial links the effort ...
• Florida A&M Rattlers have played in 25 of the 46 Super Bowls - Dallas star Bob Hayes won a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic gold medal. ...
• Freedom rider rabbi remembers his arrest in Tallahassee airport 50 years ago - Ministers eventually served sentence, worked as road crew before release from jail ...
• Second Harvest signature soups will help fight child hunger on Wednesday at Capitol - One in six people locally struggle for enough to eat ...
• Cancer patient slips away from hospital to give stranded bus riders a last Christmas gift - In his battle with cancer, he relied on city buses . . . and now he had a plan to help people who didn't know the buses were down for the day. ...
• Madison girl is eight years old, loses leg but not awesome fight against cancer - Catherine has inspired all those around her in her brave fight against osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. ...
• Harriet Adderley went to bat 48 years ago in civil rights protest that resulted in landmark case - Braving an angry crowd, Florida A&M students marched to the jail, and were told to disperse. The rest is history. ...
• Miracle Theatre: the last picture show - A small crowd gathered to pledge support for independent film in Tallahassee and to memorialize the end of an era at a movie theatre. ...
• Trial of the century? not Casey Anthony: Details of prison life of killers of Florida judge and wife - Many people recall the sensational trial in the murder of Judge Chillingworth and his wife in Palm Beach County. Here are some details that perhaps no one knows about, from reporter Jack Strickland....
• Energetic principal nurtures, grows high school from ‘D’ to ‘A’ - Here is a day in the life of Dr. Michelle Gayle, who enhanced respect and trust among all at Rickards High School in Tallahassee. ...
• He saves rare woodpecker - Saving the endangered red cockaded woodpecker requires tough and tender skills in the national forest. ...
• Local legend King Love invented ‘secret weapon’ - The legendary King Love of Tallahassee was an outsider but this bristly visage and royal pretender carried a degree as a medical doctor......
I learned a lifelong Bible lesson of charity on a city bus
January 07, 2012Gainesville
Playing “bus driver” over the Christmas holidays to fulfill a terminally ill cancer patient’s last wishes resurrected old memories about my city bus riding experiences.
Several years ago, my wife’s car broke down. Trying to be a true gentleman, I loaned her mine and opted to take the bus. It had been several years since I had been on a city bus.
What a memorable experience it turned out to be.
Riding the bus on the routes around the University of Florida campus was fun. My riding companions were bright, colorful, young people who had the world by the tail and their whole life in front of them. They were a real joy as they shared inspirational glimpses into their lives and the future they expected.
The buses catering to the university community were new and clean. Service was great. A bus came along every 10 or 15 minutes. For the most part, the drivers were courteous and helpful.
I lived in the county near the country club. My neighbors did not ride the bus. To get home, I had to take bus #1 to Butler Plaza at the edge of the city limits. That was about as far away from campus as most of the university community traveled by bus. From there, I had to take bus # 75 to complete the remainder of my journey home.
The type of service and riders changed drastically.
Bus #75 was dirty and ragged.
You were lucky if it came every hour.
The driver was a grouch. It’s route meandered through the ghettos and blighted communities as it passed near the Country Club. For the most part, the riders were the downtrodden and homeless. Their lives seemed to be behind them. They appeared to have no future. They were dirty and smelled bad. The air reeked with the sickening smell of cheap liquor and wine – and body odor.
On this Friday evening a light mist fell. Bus patrons waiting for bus #75 were crowded under a small bus stop shelter trying to stay dry. Looking back, I realize I was a first class jerk. Most of my fellow bus riders—both men and women—crowded there under that make-shift shelter, were wearing dirty tee shirts and nasty cut-offs. I was wearing a $500 suit and I didn’t want to mess it up, rubbing shoulders with that motley crew.
I must have been feeling very uppity and Holier than Thou.
It was before cell phones were common. Primarily, to get away from this unsavory crowd, I went across the street to a Publix to make a phone call at one of their public phones. I needed to call my wife to make sure she understood the magnitude of my sacrifice in hopes of generating some sympathy and promises of TLC at the end of my horrific ride.
A young lady with a small child, who had been on the bus with me, tried to use a phone next to me. She did not have the proper change.
As I talked on the phone, I reached into my pocket and pulled put a handful of coins, and signaled to her to take what she needed. I completed my call. I waited inside the store as long as I could, without risking missing my bus connection. I wanted to avoid contact with those God-awful bus people, who waited outside under the shelter, as long as I could.
Soon after I returned to the bus stop, the young lady on the phone next to me in the store also returned. She had made purchases in the store and had change. She walked up to me under the crowded shelter and handed me the coins she had “borrowed.” Other people observing thought I was broke and in need of a hand-out. Every single person close by reached into their pockets and purses and retrieved their coins to give to me, too.
One guy handed me his daily bus pass, telling me it would save me the cost of the bus fare—and that he really didn’t need it. He had nowhere to go and was merely riding the bus to stay out of the weather. I felt so small!
Miraculously, These people I had been looking down my nose at were transformed into beautiful children of God. I no longer noticed their smell or disheveled appearance. Each one had a colorful story to tell. Their life experiences were very touching. Each individual became very special. I was disappointed by my previous attitude and saddened by all I had missed due to my arrogance.
I was reminded of the biblical story about the Widow’s Offering. My memory of the story from my childhood literature is the chimes and bells of a kingdom’s huge, beautiful, cathedral had been silenced by God because of the peoples disobedience and bad behavior.
To make the bells ring, the people were instructed to give significant offerings. The king came to the alter and presented crowns, jewels, and valuable treasures. Nothing happened. Rich men placed treasures of gold and silver on the altar and stood back. The chimes remained silent. A widow instructed her small child to place “two pence” on the altar. When he did, the chimes and bells came alive.
Everyone was dumbfounded. How could this be? In the face of such wealth, she gave less than a penny. How could such an offering please God? Her gift amounted to nothing.
God responded, “Yes, but she gave all that she had.”
These “bus people” had given me all they had – and were cheerful givers, who were happy to extend a helping hand to someone who seemed to be in need – even to a jerk like me.
I learned more that day than I ever did in school.
Note: Accounts of “The Widows Offering” (sometimes called “The Widow’s Mite”) can be found in scripture at Mark 12: 40—44 and Luke 21: 1-4. )